A phobia is an intense fear of, or aversion to, specific objects or situations. Although it can be realistic to be anxious in some circumstances, the fear individuals with phobias experience is out of proportion to the actual danger caused by the situation or object. When you have a phobia you:

• may have an irrational or excessive worry about encountering the feared object or situation,
• take extreme measures to avoid the feared object or situation, and
• experience immediate, intense anxiety in anticipation of, and immediately upon encountering the feared object or situation.

There are several types of phobias and phobia-related disorders:

Specific Phobias are characterized by an intense fear of specific types of objects or situations. Some examples of specific phobias include the fear of:

• Flying
• Heights
• Specific animals, such as spiders, dogs, or snakes
• Receiving injections
• Blood

Social anxiety disorder is a general intense fear of, or anxiety toward, social or performance situations. You may worry that actions or behaviors associated with your anxiety will be viewed negatively by others and cause extreme embarrassment or shame which may cause you to avoid social situations.

Agoraphobia is an intense fear of two or more of the following situations:

• Using public transportation
• Being in open spaces
• Being in enclosed spaces
• Standing in line or being in a crowd
• Being outside of the home alone

Individuals with agoraphobia often avoid these situations because they think being able to leave might be difficult or impossible in the event they have panic-like reactions or other embarrassing symptoms. In the most severe form of agoraphobia, an individual can become housebound.